


I won't be far away

by Yanana



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bellamione - Freeform, But it's about Hermione and Bella, Do not read if you cannot handle sad endings, F/F, I mention a lot of characters, Life after the war, There's death in this fic, Warning!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:29:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27648910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yanana/pseuds/Yanana
Summary: Death comes for Bellatrix as she says goodbye to the love of her life
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Bellatrix Black Lestrange
Comments: 18
Kudos: 58





	I won't be far away

**Author's Note:**

> I sincerely apologize... I had the first sentence in my head and I couldn't let it go. I normally don't do sad fics so please forgive me

‘We both knew this day would come, dove.’

Hermione nodded through her tears, knowing her Bella was right. But it didn’t take the pain away. Years of making memories together did not make the farewell any easier. A shaky hand, roughened by the years, came up to wipe away the tears that were spilling from amber eyes.

‘It’s okay, my love. Cry now but don’t spill too many tears for me. Only remember the happy moments, ey?’

Hermione took the hand that was caressing her cheek and kissed it tenderly. She was sitting on the edge of the bed and looked down at her wife. Despite the fact that she had grown older in such a way no muggle could have, the years had eventually caught up with the once fierce witch. Her raven black curls had gone almost completely grey and the wrinkles that covered her hands and face were proof of a fully lived life.

Despite her old age, Bellatrix had lost nothing of her wit or her sense of humour. She was still quick with sarcastic comments and never suffered from memory loss. But the last year, her body had indicated that it had been enough. First her joints started to ache, she became tired more quickly and eventually her heart and lungs struggled to keep up.

A raspy breath announced another coughing fit and Hermione gently supported her wife, rubbing soothing circles on her back with the small of her hand. She had spend weeks trying to find a cure against old age, refusing to accept that death would eventually take her Bella away from her but it was no use. Bella had just smiled at her wife and told her a story about a powerful wizard who tried to overcome death and in his search for immortality, became the greatest evil the Wizarding Community had ever seen.

The comparison to Voldermort had made Hermione realize how futile her quest was. Instead, she started to enjoy her last months with Bellatrix to the fullest. It’s not like she wasn’t accustomed to death by now. She had said goodbye to so many friends. Not only during the war but after it as well. The first one to go was Minerva McGonagall after years of being the best Headmistress Hogwarts had ever seen.

They had found her in her favourite chair by the hearth, completely dressed in her tartan night robes, slipped away during a nap. After her, many others had followed. It was part of life of course but the day they buried Narcissa, Hermione had realized that one day death would also come for Bella.

Her Bella. The woman she had loved so intensely for so many years. Nobody had expected them to end up together but after showing her true colours during the final battle of Hogwarts, Hermione had found it in her to forgive her just as she had forgiven Severus who’d played a similar role but paid for it with his life. Bellatrix had erased the scar on her arm and it had marked the beginning of a friendship that eventually blossomed into a love unlike the Wizarding World had ever seen.

‘Are you ready?’

  
The question startled Hermione but she quickly recovered and grabbed the pensieve at her feet. Bellatrix smiled when Hermione handed her wand and she brought the tip of it to her temple. After mere seconds she withdrew her hand and a luminescent white string of memories attached to her wand fell into the bowl. Together they looked at the first of many memories Bella wanted to leave behind for her wife and son.

_‘I’m pregnant.’_

_‘I beg your pardon?’_

_Bellatrix chewed her lip. She had finally mustered the courage to tell Hermione and now the brunette was looking at her as if she’d lost her mind. Their relationship was still so very new but apparently Bella’s last quick shag with her ex Rodolphus had left them a gift neither of them saw coming. He’d died a few years after the war from Dragon Pox but had always remained a close friend of Bella’s even after their divorce._

_‘Remember I wasn’t feeling well last week? Well the dizziness came back so I went to see a healer and… it turns out that I’m pregnant.’_

_Hermione blinked a few times before dropping her quill and walking over to her girlfriend who looked as if she’d rather go back to Azkaban than have this conversation. The brunette placed a hand on Bella’s belly and kissed the witch on her cheek._

_‘I guess we better start reading some baby books then.’_

The memory evaporated and both women were chuckling. Bella had given birth to a wonderful son they called Altair. He was now a grown man of fifty years old and had children of his own. They had just left after saying their goodbyes to Bella and despite Altair trying to stay strong for his kids, he had cried his eyes out in the arms of his mother. Bella had given her two grandchildren a letter for them to read when they got home and asked them to leave for she did not wish for them to see her final moments.

Ever the proud woman, Hermione thought but she was surprised when Bella asked her to stay until the end. The brunette pointed her wand to the fireplace to drive the chill from the room and focused her attention back on the pensieve that had just received a second memory from Bellatrix.

_They were both walking along the shoreline, each holding a hand of the little toddler that was swinging between them throwing his legs up in the air as high as he could. Narcissa was walking a few feet behind them, pushing a stroller with her first and only grandchild Scorpius. She had spelled the wheels of the stroller so it wouldn’t get stuck in the sand after a first failed attempt to join Hermione and her sister on their walk._

_A blue haired teenager was kicking against every shell he found, grumbling to himself while his grandmother rolled her eyes. Oh how she missed the years where he didn’t have the urge to fight every decision that was being made. Hermione laughed at Andy who looked like she was muttering a prayer and noticed her girlfriend smiling at her._

_‘What?’_

_‘You’re a beautiful woman.’_

_‘You’re crazy,’ Hermione laughed._

_‘No, I’m crazy about you. There’s a difference.’_

Hermione’s answer was too far away to be heard as the memory once more disappeared into the pensieve to join the others. She felt new tears prickle behind her eyes and furiously blinked in order to stop them from falling. They had spend so many days with the whole Black family who accepted her as one of their own, even Draco although it took him a while longer.

After Altair, many more children followed. Harry and Ginny were the first but Nevill and Luna weren’t too far behind them. George and Angelina made sure the Weasley name wouldn’t vanish too soon and in the end, Ron found love as well and started his own little family of redheads. Hermione felt her heart buzz with love at the memory of her friends and their wonderful families. They had all lived such happy lives after the war. Finally.

‘Sickle for your thought?’

Amber eyes flickered with mirth as they connected with dark brown ones, ‘just reminiscing about the past years.’

‘They were good years.’

‘They certainly were. I just don’t want them to end.’

‘Oh dove, they won’t end with me. You have your friends, our son, our grandchildren and you’re a godmother to three wonderful little witches and wizards…’

Hermione eventually lost her fight against her tears as she sobbed, ‘I’ll miss you so terribly, Bella.’

‘I won’t be far away, dove.’

And with that, Bella dropped another memory in the pensieve, and another and another until she had shared everything she wanted Hermione to have. Bellatrix looked at the candles on the nightstand and sighed. They were almost fully burned and it felt like a horribly metaphor for her own life. Fully lived.

‘Lie down with me?’

Hermione kicked off her shoes and nestled herself in Bella’s arms, her head right underneath the older woman’s chin. They had spent countless nights like this, cuddling in the darkness and having endless conversations. But tonight there was nothing left to be said. All the words had been spoken and both women felt it. Grief held Hermione’s heart in an iron fist but her wife sensed it and tenderly kissed her on the head.

‘Don’t hold onto your sadness, my love. Live the remainder of your life to the fullest. Honour me by being happy.’

‘I’ll try Bella. But give me some time to mourn you. You are the love of my life, my best friend and I cannot bear the thought of losing you just yet.’

Bellatrix didn’t answer her as she once more glanced at the candles. One of the three had gone out and a second one visibly started to struggle. Despite the hearth driving the chill from the room, it could not make the chill that had slowly crept inside her body disappear. Bellatrix knew what it was. Death had arrived for her and she intended to go willingly. She had fought enough during her life after all. When the second candle went out, Bella spoke.

‘Kiss me Hermione. One last time.’

Hermione was quick to oblige, as she didn’t want to waste any time and pressed her lips onto Bella’s. She could taste the salt from her own tears but there was also the musky taste and smell that was her Bella. The younger witch kissed her wife again and again and again until the kiss wasn’t reciprocated anymore. Together with the last candle going out, Bellatrix breathed her last breath.

Hermione Black, née Granger, didn’t remember how many minutes or hours she spent cradling Bellatrix’s lifeless body while crying her heart out but she did remember eventually getting up and sending a Patronus to the coroner who would collect her body to prepare it for the funeral. She also remembered Andy coming through the floo and taking Hermione with her so she wouldn’t be alone in the very empty house. When she opened her eyes after emerging from the green flames, Hermione saw her family and her friends, all waiting for her to help her through this difficult time and she knew. She would survive.


End file.
